


Fear Of A Name

by wickednlazy



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-09
Updated: 2016-10-12
Packaged: 2018-08-20 11:40:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8247433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wickednlazy/pseuds/wickednlazy
Summary: Albus Potter is overshadowed by the great legacy of his Father. He struggles to keep up with his grades, has only one true friend- Scorpius Malfoy- and is the lone Slytherin in a family of Gryffindors. When Harry Potter decides to leave his post at the Ministry for Magic, it becomes even harder to bear- but they soon discover a terrible shadow at Hogwarts has been waiting for them both.





	1. Resignation

**Author's Note:**

> {I recently read The Cursed Child, and while I was delighted to meet with some beloved characters again at a different point in their lives and experience a new adventure with them (and their children), I didn’t really love the plot and found a lot of things were lacking. So I decided to write my own adventure with grown up Harry, his friends and his family, and have eliminated the Time Turner element altogether. I’m not 100% sure what might yet happen, but I hope you’ll enjoy my first ever little ramble into the Wizarding World.}

‘’Are you really sure this is what you want, Harry?’’

He was staring at the quill on her desk, poised just above her latest stack of paperwork. It was a long and elegant tawny feather, but he was having flashbacks to a quill of the most vivid green he’d ever known. This quill, however, remained hovering where its master- Hermione Granger- wanted it to, until she was ready for it to begin scribbling.

And it would only ever scribble the truth, he thought firmly. He finally lifted his gaze back to Hermione, who was watching him with raised eyebrows.

‘’Yeah, I think so.’’

Her eyebrows climbed a little higher at this nonchalant response. There was a soft rustle as she unwrapped a toffee and popped it into her mouth, still looking at him expectantly. Harry realised he hadn’t been convincing enough and spoke again.

‘’I want to do this, Hermione. It feels…it feels right. I think it would be better for me.’’

She chewed methodically as she considered his answer.

‘’Does Ginny know about this?’’

‘’Of course she does!’’

‘’And what did she think?’’

Harry shrugged and gazed off again, this time settling on the dark tiled fireplace.

‘’She wants me to be happy.’’

‘’So you’re not happy here anymore?’’

‘’Hermione…’’

With a little sigh, Hermione mirrored his shrug and rested her chin on her hands.

‘’You worked very hard to get here, Harry, that’s all.  _And_ you’re the youngest-‘’

‘’Youngest Head of Magical Law Enforcement, I know.’’

‘’I just want to know that you’re 100% sure about this decision, that you’ve really thought it through. If you need to take some time off to consider longer…’’

‘’This is what I want, Hermione. I promise, I’ve thought about it a lot, I’ve talked it over with Ginny so many times, she’s threatened to punch me if I mention it again.’’

Hermione’s lips twitched at this, but she gave a little nod of approval. She flicked her wand and sent the golden wrapper zipping across the room and into the bin.

‘’Well, at least now I know why Ron’s been so shady about all those owls you’ve been exchanging…’’

‘’I’m surprised you didn’t force a confession out of him.’’ Harry said, grinning slightly. He had to admire Ron’s resolve, in fact, when he imagined the treatment Hermione would have doled out when refused an answer about their letters. But in the end, he and Ron had taken themselves to The Leaky Cauldron, feeling it was as fitting as anywhere could be, and discussed it in person.

‘’I’m going to have a real job replacing you, you know that? You’re the best the department has ever had as well as being the youngest.’’

‘’That’s not true.’’ Harry said, shaking his head, but Hermione fixed him with one of those stares she had become quite adept at since becoming Minister for Magic, one that would not take any argument on the matter.

‘’You are, Harry, no-one could  _possibly_  be more qualified. But, I suppose Ron did the same, and Neville too...’’ She sighed, pulling a sheet of parchment closer to her. Her quill, which had started to loll in the air, now jumped smartly to attention. It quivered over the page, waiting for instruction.

Hermione gave a curt nod, and the quill scribbled down her signature with a flourish. A stamp shuffled out from beneath a rather large diary and thumped down next to the signature with great enthusiasm.

‘’That’s it, then. However hesitantly, I accept your resignation.’’

Harry nodded gratefully, unable to help a little smile.

‘’Thank you, Minister.’’

She made an amused sound, sitting back in her chair as the quill hovered dutifully over the next piece of parchment. She pulled a much smaller sheaf towards her, grabbing the quill and writing a note by hand this time. She began to fold it meticulously.

‘’I hope you know what you’re doing.’’ She said, not looking up. When she was done, a perfectly formed paper airplane rose from her hand at the command of her wand. It zipped upwards a few inches and then shot away like a dart, the door opening courteously to let it out into the corridor and then closing itself again.

Harry watched it go. His relief that the interview was over seemed to be yanked away, as though attached the paper plane, leaving behind that sense of foreboding to ball up in his stomach again.

He had decided this was the right thing to do. But he had not found another job to replace it.

‘’I do.’’

  
\----

 

Harry appeared back in the kitchen with a gentle ‘pop’. It was getting on for 9 o’clock, but he had been able to guarantee that Hermione would be in her office, and it was better to go late so he had the least chance of bumping into someone.

The same could not be said for his own home, however, and Ginny was there at the stove, her attention divided between stirring soup and reading from a folded newspaper. She looked up as he arrived, giving a tired smile.

‘’How did it go, then?’’

‘’As well as can be expected, I suppose.’’

Ginny gave him a look.

‘’So..?’’

‘’She accepted, but she wasn’t entirely pleased about it.’’ Harry elaborated, gladly breathing in the smell of chicken soup; he couldn’t actually remember when he’d eaten last. Had he stopped for lunch?

Ginny summoned a bowl from the cupboard and began to ladle him some. He kissed the top of her head gratefully.

‘’Well, I can’t imagine her jumping for joy at the news…’’ She said wryly, handing him the bowl and indicating for him to sit himself down. He did so, grabbing a spoon on his way to the table. He began to eat, no other sound for a moment but the clinking of his spoon.

Ginny had taken the soup off the stove, leaving the remainder to cool after ladling some into a bowl for herself. She summoned some bread to the table, tearing a chunk off and dunking it in her soup.

‘’What’s the plan?’’

Harry did not answer straight away. He took his time chewing a piece of chicken, but it melted in his mouth annoyingly fast.

‘’I’ve got some options to consider.’’

‘’Harry, if you don’t stop being cryptic…’’

‘’I’m not sure.’’ He admitted, finally. ‘’I do have options, but I’m not…I’m not sure.’’

Ginny watched him for a moment, stirring her soup absent-mindedly. Then she gave a shrug and a half smile.

‘’Take your time deciding, then. Be sure about the next one. Besides, I know your plans work out in the end…you’ve always been that way.’’

‘’Thanks, Gin.’’

  
\----

  
  
  
Over the next couple of weeks, Harry had many visitors at the Ministry who came to wish him well, or else to see if they could convince him to stay. The Daily Prophet had got wind of the story, as had certain other publications, and Rita Skeeter was as gleeful as ever in dissecting his possible reasons for wanting to go.

Hermione had offered to trap her again in a jar and chuck her out to sea when he showed her the article in  _Witch Weekly_  (one that an indignant ministry member had snatched from his wife so he could show Harry himself) but he had declined, with great amusement.

Even at home, he was bombarded with letters and notes from friends, co-workers, and strangers alike. Ginny had been teasing him about his ‘fan mail’, just as she had done when he had lived temporarily at The Burrow in the aftermath of Voldemort’s defeat.

The family grew accustomed to owls swooping in at all hours of the day, but a week after his resignation had become public, everything seemed to be settling down.

Except for Callisto, the Eurasian Eagle owl who dutifully delivered Harry’s letters.

He had not felt it right to replace Hedwig for a very long time after her death, but eventually he had been persuaded to get another owl of his own, rather than to continue borrowing others, especially as he climbed the ranks of the Ministry.

Callisto swooped elegantly through the kitchen window, in and out, every day. And though Harry often let Ginny read his ‘fan letters’ for her own amusement, he had been increasingly secretive about who he was corresponding with through Callisto. As the owl arrived yet again with a scroll attached to her leg, Ginny narrowed her eyes from across the kitchen as Harry jumped up to meet her at the window.

‘’Accio parchment!’’

The letter, along with dozens of other bits of parchment littering the kitchen table, suddenly flew in Ginny’s direction. She caught the guilty letter easily, snatching it out of the air and letting the others drop to the floor. Lily Potter ran through the rainfall of parchment, giggling as she tried to catch the other letters and scraps flying through the air.

‘’Ginny! Give me my letter-‘’

Harry felt a strong sensation of déjà vu as he strode across the kitchen. It distracted him from even thinking to use his wand. Callisto flew from her perch on his shoulder onto the table as he shot off. She ruffled her feathers indignantly before picking at the breakfast he had abandoned to intercept her.

Ginny’s eyes widened.

‘’Harry…’’

‘’I was going to tell you- I wanted to talk to you about it, I haven’t made up my mind yet…’’

She scanned the parchment again, focusing on the elegant signature on the bottom. Harry let her. There was little point in snatching the letter back now.

‘’What’s happened in here?’’ James Potter asked, entering the kitchen with his younger brother in tow. They were distinctly different, James sporting the fiery hair of his Mother and her family, while Albus was dark haired, much like his Father, and looking particularly sullen this morning. He eyed the mess with the same curiosity as his brother, however, as they made their way to the table for breakfast.

‘’Nothing.’’ Harry said quickly.

‘’Probably more adoring letters.’’ Albus said, helping himself to some toast. He did not look up as he began to spread it with marmalade, though his brother James was grinning broadly.

‘’Is it one of the nutty ones, Dad? Are they hoping you’ll divorce Mum next?’’

‘’James Potter, what a thing to say!’’ Ginny said, shaking her head at him. He simply laughed and shooed Callisto away from the cereal.

‘’Well it’s true, Mum, lots of crazy women send him love letters, I saw that one from Droitwich-‘’

‘’You said you’d burned those.’’ Harry said, raising his eyebrows at his wife.

‘’I did.’’ She replied darkly. ‘’I must not have done it thoroughly enough.’’

‘’The fire spat it out last time we spoke to Uncle Ron through Floo.’’

‘’Look, you three, get yourselves fed, we need to get to Diagon Alley and get your school things, we’re already behind.’’ Ginny said, waving away the conversation and ushering Lily to the table. She still held the parchment in her hand, Harry watching her all the while. She returned to his side, watching her three children a moment as they served themselves breakfast, before looking to him again and offering him the letter.

He took it, smoothed it out, and read it:

_‘Dear Harry,_

_You doubt yourself entirely too much, and after all that you have done! I won’t hear of it. I have mentioned the idea to the rest of the faculty and they are all very supportive. I would be very surprised if you did not soon receive an owl from Hagrid, with how enthusiastic he was when I told him._

_The offer still stands for the moment, if you wish to take it, but I must know before the end of the week so that I may contact the other potential applicant to be ready for term._

_Please let me know your decision as soon as possible. I am sure you will make the right one, whichever it is, but as I said in my last letter, you are surely the most qualified for the position and would do wonderfully._

_I think you will enjoy teaching (as you certainly did during your fifth year here, if I recall correctly). I look forward to your return owl. She is quite something._

_Warm regards,_ _  
_Minerva McGonagall’__

‘’Who’s it from, Daddy?’’ Lily asked, eating cereal flakes by hand out of the box.

‘’An old friend.’’ Harry replied. He glanced back down to the parchment, and then again to Ginny, seeing a soft light in her eyes. She looked away, brushing stray cornflakes out of Lily’s hair.

‘’We’ll talk about it later, Harry.’’


	2. Diagon Alley

‘’I’ll be quite lonely in the house on my own.’’

‘’Ginny, I haven’t said yes.’’

‘’But you’re going to.’’

Harry looked at her, checking they were out of earshot of the children. James was ogling the newest racing broom in the nearby shop window, while Lily tugged at his arm to move onto the Owl Emporium. Albus was skulking on ahead of them all, Harry noted, but he was distracted by the amused noise that Ginny made.

‘’See, you are.’’

‘’I haven’t decided. And I’m not going to do it if you aren’t happy about it…’’

‘’When did you hear me say I wasn’t?’’

‘’Just now. It’s going to cause an upheaval- for all of us. I have to think about them too, don’t I? I mean, it’s bad enough when we take them to the station, the staring, the whispers…’’

‘’You don’t care about that though.’’

‘’I don’t, but _they_ do. Albus does.’’

Ginny hung back a little, her hand still entwined with Harry’s as they walked. They were drawing level with Eyelops now, the rustling, hooting and screeching from within easily heard. Lily had shot inside, excited as ever. It was her favourite place in all of Diagon Alley, and now she was about to join her brothers at school, she would finally get to choose a familiar, something she had been talking about non-stop all month.

She reappeared rather suddenly outside the door and bounced up and down on the spot.

‘’Mum, Dad, come on, pleeease, I want to see them all! Let’s go!’’

James was still hovering at the window, hypnotized by the gleaming Starfire II on display, while Albus was walking along towards the book shop.

‘’It’ll be better though, at Hogwarts. It’ll become normal so quickly and no-one will care anymore that you’re teaching there.’’

‘’But it’s not just that, though. I mean…how would you have felt if your Dad had decided to leave the Ministry and teach at your school?’’

‘’I’d have been more worried if Mum came to teach us.’’ Ginny said, shaking her head.

They caught up with their enthusiastic daughter, who was jumping in and out of the shop, spinning as she took each leap to see if they were coming.

‘’You go with Lily and pick something- I need to speak to Albus.’’

Ginny raised her eyebrows, but said nothing, other than a quick ‘oi!’ to grab the attention of James. He grinned and darted over, following his younger sibling into the shop while Harry left them to it. He strode down the cobbled street after his youngest son, catching sight of him entering the bookshop. Harry followed.

  
\---

 

‘’I know which books I need, I have my letter.’’ Albus said, eyeing his Dad as he stood before the Potions section. Harry nodded, unsure for a moment what to say. Things between them were growing frosty, and with each passing year at school, Harry felt it get stronger, as though Albus was slipping rapidly away from him.

Ginny assured him this was normal- he was just growing up, becoming a teenager, but James had not been this way when he reached thirteen…

On the other hand, James had been sorted into Gryffindor. He had done what was expected, and was doing rather well in his lessons. Albus was a Slytherin, a surprise to them all, but despite all of Harry’s reassurances, his son still felt this had somehow disappointed the family. That on top of his middling grades and lack of popularity, Albus was inclined to shut himself off even at home, and it was steadily getting worse.

‘’Do you like Potions? I never did. But then, I never got on with the teacher back then so that didn’t help.’’

‘’You mean the one I named after?’’

‘’Well, yes, but I learned some things after he stopped teaching us.’’

‘’Uncle Ron hated him.’’ Albus said, not looking at his Father. He had selected the necessary Potions book and was now scanning the shelves for the Standard Book of Spells Grade 3.

‘’And I understand why,’’ Harry said patiently, ‘’but I saw past that, what he did for Dumbledore.’’

‘’Yes, the other one I’m named for.’’

‘’Albus Dumbledore was an incredible wizard and an incredible man.’’ Harry reminded him, a little more sharply than he had intended. His son looked up in surprise, but after a moment he shook his head and shrugged, grabbing the book he needed off the shelf.

‘’Everyone thinks you’re mad for resigning.’’

‘’Do you?’’

Harry noticed a subtle change in tone. He watched his son curiously, but Albus was busying himself with his Hogwarts list, shuffling the books he’d picked to rest underneath his other arm.

‘’Depends why you did it.’’ He answered, now looking for the new Herbology textbook he’d need. He paused suddenly, his hand outstretched. This wasn’t even the right section. His hand fell away and he looked to his Dad. ‘Why _did_ you resign?’’

‘’I just didn’t want to do it anymore. I loved my job. I probably could have carried on doing my job, but…I didn’t want to. I felt like it was time for a change.’’

‘’What are you going to do instead, then?’’

‘’Well…’’ Harry began, unsure how to broach this subject. He wasn’t decided himself yet, and the mere suggestion could have an entirely negative response. But then again, how could he possibly consider taking up the role without consulting his kids first? They would have to know eventually, and better to see how they’d take the news.

Albus sighed, looking back to his list.

‘’It’s fine, you don’t have to tell me.’’

‘’Albus…’’

‘’Lily will be wanting to show you her new familiar, you should really be there. All the Gryffindor’s together.’’

‘’You don’t know that Lily will be in Gryffindor.’’ Harry said, frowning a little. His son merely gave another shrug and this time selected the right Herbology textbook.

‘’There’s only ever one black sheep in a family, isn’t there?’’

‘’Albus Potter, you listen to me,’’ Harry said, turning the boy to face him. He kneeled down so they could be face to face, taking one of the large books that Albus was now struggling to balance in his arms, ‘’there is nothing wrong with being a Slytherin. The fact that people still say it, that Slytherins are nasty, deceptive, it really annoys me, and after everything that happened…’’

‘’Yeah, yeah, the big Battle of Hogwarts, I know-‘’

‘’No, you _don’t_ know-‘’

‘’How many Slytherins were there fighting? How many of them stayed when Voldemort gave them a free pass? There must be a reason everyone still hates them-‘’

‘’Enough.’’ Harry said, raising his voice a little. ‘’Enough of them stayed. And do you know what? Some people take their Sorting too seriously. I’ve known idiotic Ravenclaws. I’ve known Hufflepuffs who were dishonest and sneaky, and Slytherins who were brave and good people. People who fought alongside us. I know there may be less of them, that it has a reputation that still lingers on, but there is nothing wrong with being a Slytherin.’’

Albus was quiet for a moment, staring back at his Dad. Then he quietly recited:

‘ _’Those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends_.’’

‘’Where did you hear that?’’

‘’Scorpius told me. He found a book in the library with every Sorting Hat song recorded, and that one was from your time there. That’s their reputation. My reputation.’’

‘’Being ambitious is not an evil thing. But regardless, Albus, what have I just told you? Some people take their Sorting way too seriously, and a lot of people defy their House descriptions. And on the subject of which, by what you’re saying, your friend Scorpius has got to be cunning, conniving, evil-‘’

‘’He isn’t!’’ Albus said sharply, pulling the book back from his Dad. Harry smiled, though exasperated, and returned to standing.

‘’There’s your answer then. You don’t necessarily become or fit all that your House describes.’’

‘’But everyone says the Sorting Hat is never wrong. And it didn’t listen to me, you said you told it not to put you in Slytherin and it listened, but it didn’t listen to me, I tried.‘’

The door to the shop burst open and James came sprinting in, grinning from ear to ear. It was that particular grin that reminded Harry very vividly of Fred Weasley.

‘’Dad, Al, you should see what Lily’s chosen for school!’’

‘’Are you coming?’’ Harry asked, as James darted out again. He waited a moment as Albus looked from him to his books, shrugging them into an acceptable pile.

‘’I need to get my books. I’ll see it later.’’

With that, Albus turned away again and climbed the curving iron staircase to the floor above. Harry let him go, with a heady mixture of frustration and sadness in his chest, and turned to follow after his older son.


End file.
